Wildberry Pie
by ellerean
Summary: Pre-PoR. Rhys was a simple healer in a small village, until he came across an unusual mercenary group on a job.
1. Chapter 1

Rhys hung his basket from the crook of his elbow, listening to the path crunch underfoot. His herb supply was sorely lacking, and while it wasn't a priority to restock right now, he felt much more comfortable when they were easily accessible at home.

His mother worried, of course, every time he went into the woods. But he promised not to venture far, and he knew exactly where the herbs grew. Rhys coughed, then wiped the sweat from his forehead. He prayed to Ashera that his warmth was from the outside temperature, not that he was getting sick again.

He crouched by the side of the path, plucking at the herbs for closer examination, and was startled when the ground began to rumble. Rhys could feel the horse's approach before he saw it. He stared wide-eyed at the regal-looking beast, glistening white with sweat . . . and headed straight for him. He shrieked, dodging from its path.

A voice was spilling obscenities, quite angrily, and he opted to conceal himself behind a bush. "Dastard, thinking you can escape me!" The horse whinnied loudly as it got caught in a bramble, instantly immobilized. Rhys peeked through the bush and was surprised to see—and hear—a _woman_ controlling the animal. Her white armor glinted in the dull light and a long, red braid hung down her back. It didn't take long to see who she was pursuing—a bandit appeared, proudly circling her captive horse. He grinned a wicked snarl. Rhys shrunk down further, clutching the herb basket to his chest.

"Blasted _wench_. Think yer better than me?" The horse struggled, tangling herself further, and the rider slung an arm around the animal's neck to regain balance. Rhys gasped, then clapped both hands over his mouth. Luckily, there was too much commotion for him to be heard. He sighed in relief when she pulled herself upright, but she dropped her axe in the process. He looked around, but there was no way he could help. Rhys carried no weapon, and the bandit was close enough that he could see the tattered hem of his pants through the bush.

The bandit grunted as he hurled his axe at the rider, but she didn't have enough mobility to dodge. It embedded in her shoulder plate, and the blood gushed from beneath her armor. He heard a howl of pain, but it certainly wasn't feminine. He inched closer to the scene and was face-to-face with the dead bandit, an arrow sticking straight up between the eyes. Rhys whimpered and clutched his stomach, resisting the urge to be sick, as he rushed to the woman's side.

"Miss? Miss! Are you all right?" She lied face-down atop the horse, unconscious, arms slung lifelessly over the sides. The axe had caused more damage than he thought: Ribbons of blood oozed from beneath her armor, a puddle pooling in the dirt. Rhys squeezed his eyes shut, twisting his hands together, praying for the dizziness to pass. _So much blood…_

"Titania!" A frantic voice burst from down the path, followed by the sound of clunking through the woods. "Blast it! _Titania!_"

Rhys opened his eyes, but not before he was shoved out of the way. He landed hard on the ground, a lifeless hand cushioning his fall. He yelped and scrambled away from the body.

"Sorry, pal." A man in blue armor offered him a hand—he gladly accepted—while a hard-faced, ponytailed man yanked the brambles away from the horse's legs. "My friend here didn't mean to shove you."

The ponytailed man muttered a string of curses, pulling at the reins once she was free. He reached up to place a firm hand on the woman's back. "Gatrie. We need to get her to base. Now."

Rhys cleared his throat; his voice was weak when he spoke. "My village isn't far from here," he said. "I- I'm a healer. I can help."

The blue-armored man turned to him, an unexpected smile on his face. "Must be our lucky day! Lead the way, my man."

The two men stood on either side of the horse, steadying the woman—Titania, he assumed—as Rhys led the way. The horse seemed to sense their anxiety, pulling the men into a slow jog as she followed Rhys into the village. He kept on glancing back at Titania, his chest constricting every time he saw fresh blood on her arm.

"Hey, what's your name?" The blue-armored man asked.

Rhys quickly looked away, feeling strangely guilty for staring. "Me? I'm Rhys."

"Good to meet you, Rhys! I'm Gatrie." He jerked his head toward his friend, keeping one hand on Titania's backside. "This here is Shinon."

Shinon glared at him, scowling. "Let's make sure the Captain isn't _dead_ before exchanging pleasantries."

Gatrie sighed. "Sorry, buddy."

Rhys's parents rushed toward them when they approached. He couldn't imagine what they were thinking, having him show up with this small band of mercenaries, one half-dead. Shinon and Gatrie allowed his father to help pull Titania from her horse, while Rhys scurried inside to make up the sick bed.

She was still out cold when they lied her down; thankfully she was breathing. Her wound had already dotted the sheets with blood, but Rhys was quick to patch it up with his staff. It stitched up nicely, but she was bound to be woozy from blood loss when she awoke.

"Hey, Rhys," Gatrie said, yanking off his shoulder armor. "Mind doing me, too?" He had a neat, even cut across his bicep that wasn't _too _bloody, much to his relief. He closed his eyes as the staff glowed over the skin.

Rhys's mother entered the small room, glancing anxiously at their patient. "Either of you boys want something to eat?" She held a hunk of bread. "It's not much, but supper isn't for a couple hours." Gatrie gratefully accepted, shoving half the loaf in his mouth. He held out a piece for Shinon, but his friend didn't take notice. He sat beside the bed, squeezing together his interlaced fingers, as he watched Titania sleep. Gatrie glanced over at Rhys, flashing him an easy, comforting smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Shinon could hear the endless chatter in the kitchen. As he sat beside the captain's sick bed, it wasn't hard to eavesdrop on Gatrie's extravagant tales of mercenary life. He shook his head. It wasn't _that_ extravagant, but it pleased the guy's parents, and Rhys, at least, seemed less stressed over the unconscious woman in his house. As expected, Rhys's parents _adored_ Gatrie. It was just as well for Shinon to sit that one out.

It was several hours before Titania stirred, slowly opening her eyes. Shinon sat up straight the moment he noticed. "Titania? Hey, captain."

The room was small enough that any noise carried, and it brought Gatrie to the doorway in an instant. "Shinon? What is it?"

"Oh!" Rhys appeared behind him, poking his head over Gatrie's broad shoulder. "She's awake!" Titania was still trying to get a grasp of things, moving only her eyes to glance around the room. She was visible perplexed when Rhys hurried to her side, inadvertently backing away from him. "Take it easy, now," he said. "You had a nasty wound."

"You were an idiot," Shinon said. "Running after that bandit."

"Good to see you too, Shinon." She groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Where are we?"

Gatrie shoved Shinon out of the way, spilling the story himself. They were on a job, and the one guy got away, and Titania went after him . . . Rhys listened intently, not having heard the tale prior to his arrival on the scene.

"That was stupid of me," she said, shaking her head against the pillow. She looked over at Rhys. "And you were there?"

Before he could answer Gatrie slapped him on the back, friendly, yet forcefully. Rhys stumbled slightly. "This guy fixed you right up!"

Titania tried to sit up, but Shinon reached over to hold her shoulders down. She swatted him off. "I _was_ an idiot. What were we thinking, going out without a healer?"

Rhys's mother came into the room, interrupting the reunion. "Oh, we're so glad to see you're all right! Are you all hungry? Supper is ready."

* … * … *

It was late when they finished supper, the meal lasting longer than their little household was accustomed to. Rhys and his parents loved the tales of their lives, and Gatrie was only too happy to oblige. Titania humored him, delicately correcting some of his more _exaggerated_ accounts, but Shinon didn't hesitate to call him an idiot and share the real story. Rhys's parents wished for them to stay the night, but Titania was adamant about heading back that evening. Their commander would be worried, after all, and they had another job early the next the morning.

"Oh," Rhys said, concerned, "I wouldn't suggest you go back to work so soon."

"I'll pass this one up." She smiled. "Leave the job to these two."

"Thanks, boss," Gatrie mumbled. Shinon elbowed him in the ribs.

Rhys stood with his parents at the threshold of their home, watching the mercenaries adjust their armor and take account of their belongings. They may look like a harsh group, he thought, but they cared for one another. He smiled as he watched Gatrie talk unceasingly to his friend. Shinon tightened the strap of his quiver, obviously only half-listening.

Titania cringed when she approached her horse, seeing the trickled blood on her body. "Sorry about that, girl," she said, brushing at the dried blood. "It's just mine, is all." She smiled, stroking her mane.

Rhys anxiously clutched his staff to his chest, in case any of them needed him before departing. Titania winced when she pulled herself onto her horse, but once she was settled she put on a brave face. The bandage around her shoulder was the only thing to give away her wound.

"Thanks for taking care of us, buddy," Gatrie said, ruffling Rhys's hair. He beamed, a blush crawling up his ears.

Titania turned to face them. "Hey, guys. Don't you think Rhys should come meet the commander?"

"Huh?" Gatrie said. "You think?"

Shinon nodded. "He _should_ get proper recognition." He pointed a finger at Rhys. "You're not bad at that healing thing."

His father nudged his shoulder before Rhys could even turn to face his parents. "Well, go on."

It didn't take much convincing. He had talked with his parents. They had trusted the mercenaries from the start, judging by the men's doting on their unconscious captain. Deep down, Rhys had hoped they would invite him back to base. Maybe start a new life for himself. They were in need of a healer, at least; that much was obvious.

"Just…" His mother sighed. "Write to us sometimes."

Rhys smiled. "I'm not leaving forever." He kissed her cheek.

He fell into step with the group, and it didn't take long to sense his belonging. It was funny; he barely knew them at all. But Shinon and Gatrie were chuckling over something between them, and Titania was high on her horse, and it felt like he had always been walking beside them.

After some time, Rhys noticed that the only thing he brought was his staff. He held it out before him, admiring its orb shine in the moonlight. Perhaps this was all he needed, he thought with a small smile.

"Oh!" Titania exclaimed, breaking the silence. "Rhys, I forgot to take your mother's wildberry pie recipe. She wrote it all out for me, too."

"Don't worry, Titania," he said, jogging up beside her. "I'll ask her to send it."


End file.
